Biden blames GOP newcomers for 'difficult' budget talks

WASHINGTON — Republican newcomers to Congress with an inflexible social agenda have created a "difficult" climate for negotiations in Washington, Vice President Joe Biden said Friday.

Speaking to an audience including editors and publishers of Hearst Magazines and Hearst Corp. CEO Frank Bennack, Biden said the insistence by some House Republicans on eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, NPR and environmental enforcement further complicated already complicated negotiations.

"This is difficult," Biden said. "It's a difficult moment now because we have a Republican-run House of Representatives that has strongly held views on a whole range of issues."

Biden said the newcomers don't understand that "massive social policy changes are determined" customarily by separate legislation and not as attachments to bills. Biden praised President Barack Obama for maintaining his cool amid the heated rhetoric.